Travel and Culture: Breckenridge, Colorado

By Ben A., Overland Park, KS

I have taken a lot of vacations with my parents, and my latest has been my favorite by far. This past spring break, my parents and I met up with our family friends, the Hills, in Breckenridge, Colorado. Several fun things happened on this trip, that will make it one of, if not the most memorable ski trip of my life The mountains are one of my most favorite places that I have ever been. There’s nothing like driving across western Kansas, seeing nothing but flat plains, then suddenly being surprised by a small bump on the horizon. Over the course of several hours, that bump turns into a breathtaking, snowcapped Coors light commercial, only real. Upon arriving in Denver, just outside the mountains, we went to an awesome sporting goods store, called Sports Authority, to get me a new snowboard. Outside the store, in the huge parking lot, there was a circus sized tent, filled with snowboards, skis and everything else an adventurer in Colorado could want or need to have fun outdoors. Needless to say, they had a great board, a nice set of boots, and a solid set of bindings, that we all got at a huge discount, simply because they were last year’s model, and they were on clearance. Once we arrived at our condo on the mountain, it was the most magnificent I had ever seen. There were two bedrooms, one to myself, and one for my parents. I had my own queen sized bed, a large picture window view of the mountain, my own bathroom, and a TV with cable, all in my room! That night, from about 8 PM to 4 AM it snowed over 10 inches, making for a lot of fresh powder the next day on the mountain. The first day we got out on the mountain to ski, I snowboarded from 9:00 to 4:30, the entirety of the day, the time the lifts open to the time the last one shuts down. I took it upon myself to unwind in the hot tub outside, while it snowed, and I overlooked the mountain. One of the most spectacular parts about Breckenridge, over all of the other ski towns in Colorado, is the town itself. After a long day of hitting it hard, most places restrict you to a few small restaurants near the base of the mountain, or a less than fun car ride into a small town to do the same thing. Not at Breckenridge. A huge main street with dozens of shops, restaurants, and bars comprises the tiny ski town of Breckenridge. And if you get tired of the runs there, Keystone is right next door, as well as Copper Mountain, both within 10 miles of Breckenridge. Snowboarding is one of my all time favorite things to do, and I usually get to go every spring break. Now that I have my own board, a greater appreciation for the mountains than I ever have, and a buddy to go with, I can’t think of a single other vacation I would rather go on.

Subscribe

Get Teen Ink’s 48-page monthly print edition. Written by teens since 1989.